On People’s Initiative and Nursing Board Exam
We Need To Pass An Enabling Law for PI
Following the resolution of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to junk the people’s initiative petition filed by Sigaw ng Bayan and Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) for lack of an enabling law, Senator Richard J. Gordon yesterday emphasized the urgent need for the Legislature to pass a law to provide for the implementation of this right.
"The COMELEC resolution merely acknowledged the Supreme Court decision on this matter which declared that ‘while the Constitution has recognized or granted that right [of people's initiative], the people cannot exercise it if Congress, for whatever reason, does not provide for its implementation.’ Hence, we will be working very hard to provide for its implementation at the soonest possible time," said Gordon.
Gordon, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments, Revision of Codes and Laws, earlier conducted a hearing on August 29, 2006 towards passing an enabling law to provide for the implementation of the right of the people to directly propose amendments to the Constitution through people’s initiative.
"Aside from differentiating between amendments and revision, and the extent of amendments that can be proposed through people’s initiative, the need to safeguard the process of implementing this right to protect the people’s will called our utmost attention at this Senate hearing," stated Gordon.
Gordon stressed the importance of "laying down a lawful process for the exercise of this Constitutional right to ensure that the people are not hoodwinked into proposing amendments to the Constitution that they do not want or understand." "Currently, amendments to the Constitution are crafted by wily politicians that are seeking to promote their own agenda, which puts our Constitution in danger of becoming a trapo or oil-soaked rag Constitution," he added.
"We will probably call another hearing to wrap up our findings and then submit a Committee Report, together with the bill for second reading, to the Senate very soon," declared Gordon.
In denying to give due course to the people’s initiative petition, Gordon also lauded the COMELEC for deciding in accordance with law and added that "this builds the people’s confidence in the COMELEC Commissioners as people of integrity and the COMELEC as a democratic institution."
The Supreme Court permanently enjoined COMELEC from taking cognizance of any petition for people’s initiative to propose amendments to the Constitution until a sufficient law is enacted.
1 September 2006
"The two Board of Nursing (BON) members against whom the NBI has recommended the filing of charges for their involvement in the alleged board exam leakage are mere fall guys." Senator Richard Gordon yesterday said
"Why does it seem like we are back in square one despite the lapse of over a month from the time that this matter was brought to the NBI for further investigation? Are we any closer to determining the real culprits behind the leakage? Can we already identify the areas, institutions or individuals who were able to secure copies of the leakage materials?" Gordon asked
The report of the National Bureau Investigation after conducting its investigation into the alleged leakage in the June 2006 nursing board examinations merely recommended the filing of charges against the 2 members of the Board of Nursing who had already been identified in the fact finding report of the PRC after its own study of the matter.
In its own fact finding report, the PRC admitted that it did not have the wherewithal to determine with finality the scope of the leakage, the culprits behind it, as well as the beneficiaries of thereof. The PRC left it to the NBI to look further into the matter.
"The examinees from the last nursing board remain in limbo. We cannot fool ourselves by simply sweeping things under the rug. Until we can put closure to this entire mess by putting the all of the culprits behind bars and ordering a retake of Tests 3 and 5 for those who are shown to have received the leakage materials, the blemish on all of the aspiring nurses from this batch, and of the Philippine nursing community as a whole, will remain." Gordon added.
1 September 2006
